Apparatus for plating metals.



W. E. WATKINS.

APPARATUS for: PLAHNG MEIALS.

APPLICATION r|Lm1uNE|o.19|e.

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- furnace wherein the necessary heating of the artlcles or sheets may be carrled out under .unitn snare naar WILLIAM EWART WATKINS, 0F NEW YRK. N. Y., SSGNOR T0 THE METALS PLATING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPOBATIUN GE' NEW J JERSEY.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

application sied June 1o, 191s. serial no. maar?.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. VVATKINS, acitizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Apparatus for Plating Metals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is the object ofthe present invention to provide an apparatus for coating metal, and more particularly sheet metal, such as iron or steel, with a protective plating of metal, such as copper, firmly adherent to the underlying metal, free from blemishes, unoXidized andV permanent, homogeneous and uniform. Y

To attain the foregoing object, l have assembled, in a complete unitary apparatus, various mechanisms, each of which contributes to the common end, and all of which coperate in the production of the desired ultimate result, and some of which, in subcombination and alone, present features of novelty as hereinafter claimed.

The invention comprises primarily a 'machine whereby sheets of elastic metal, such as iron or steel, may be coated on one or preferably on both sides, with a viscous metal-plating mixture or composition. This coating is of such a character that, on subsequent heattreatment, under proper conditions` it will' yield a permanent non-stripping. firmly adherent metal plating 0n the underlying metal.

The invention also comprises mechanism for bending or curving the Sheets of elastic -metal before heat treatment, so that each assumes an arched shape, and for advancing or transferring the arched sheets toward the furnace, and for delivering them, properly timed, to the conveyer by which they are to Ybe transported to the furnace for hea-t treat- .ment- The invention also comprises apparatus for reliably transporting the arched sheets to and through the heatingr furnace while in arched form, and for inally delivering them beyond the furnace, for further treatment.

The invention also comprises an improved such conditions as to yield with regularity a plating reliably adherent and satisfactorily free from oxidation. flaws or contamination, and in particular, free from a surface lm or incrustation of iron oXid.

The invention also comprises improved cooling means into which the heated articles may be delivered from the furnace and wherein their temperature is lowered in a proper and preferably non-oxidizing atmosphere.

. The invention also comprisesmcans for receiving the articles thus cooled, and flattening them. if necessary, and forwarding o'r transferring them, preferably automatically, for further treatment.

The invention also comprises supplemental coolingr means from which the articles or sheets are in regular course delivered, preferably through an oil bath, wherein they are Hxed or covered with a suitable protective oil of a character to prevent tarnishing during shipment or storage.

The invention also comprises improved mechanism located beyond the oil bath for such finishing and straightening as the Vsheets may require after immersion in the oil.

The coatingmachine, the bending, transferring and delivery mechanism, the transporting apparatus, the improved furnace, the cooling means, the receivino, flattening and forwarding means, the supplemental cooling means, and the final finishing and straightening mechanism, all have cojoint operation and, as hereinbefore indicated,'are capable of regularly producing, as the result ofV their joint, and cooperative action, fiat, uniform and unoxidized plated metal sheets, (wherein, for instance, the underlying metal may be iron or steel, and the plating copper.) and wherein the plating is uniform in thickness, firmly adherent and non-strip ping, of good appearance and substantially free from flaws a-nd'blemishcs.

The details of one embodiment of the present invention will be made clear by the following` detailed description, which is to be taken in conjunction with the. Vaccompanying drawings. l am aware, however, that the apparatus may be varied in many ways, and that some of the elements described and illustrated may bereplaced by equivalents, or omitted entirely, and it will, therefore,

be understood that in illustrating and describing the preferred embodiment. of the invention, l do not limit myself thereto, but contemplate the employment of Such other like devices in the several combinations and sub-combinations set. forth, as fairly Vfall within the scope of the appended claims.

Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, placed end to end, constitute a sectional elevation of the completeapparatus, certain parts of the furnace being broken away between Figs. Q

.8 to 16, inclusive, wherein;

Fig. 8 is a sectional pla-n view,

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the feeding mechanism,

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the pusher,

Fig. 11 is a transverse section on the line 11-11 of Fig. s,

Fig. 12 isan enlarged detail of a part of the converging elements used. for bending the sheets, and

Fig.` 13 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, illustrating the junction between the bending and transfer mechanism of the coating machine and the endless conveyer by which the sheets are transported to and through the furnace.

Fig. 14.- is an enlarged section through the coating rolls, and

Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate one of the slotted pipes whereby the coating composition is supplied to its distributing roll for delivery to a coating roll.

Figs. 17, 18, 19 and :20 are details of the furnace conveyer.

Fig. 21 is a sectional plan view through the furnaceof Fig. 2 ill-21.

Figs. 2:). and .23 are transverse sections through the furnace of Fig. 2 on lines 22--22 and 21S- 23, respectively.

Fig. 24 is a sectional plan on the lino 2-1-24 of Fig. 3, showing the Water-cooled chamber.

Fig. 25 is a plan on the line 25-25 of Fig. 3.

F ig. 2G is a section through the sprocket of Fig. 3. over which the furnace conveyer passes before dipping into the cooling bath.

Fig. 27 is a sectional elevation on the line 27-27 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 28 is a similar section on the line E28-28 of Fig. Sbut on a somewhat larger scale.

on t-he broken line Fig. Q9 is a sectional plan of the transfermechanism of Fig. -lon the line :29 29.

Fig. 30 shows the transfer mechanism of Fig. l in plan, with the box cover removed.

Fig. 31 is an elevation of this transfer mechanism as viewed from the other side with certain parts in their elevated position.

Figs. 32, 33, 3l and 35 are details of the eonveyer by which the sheets are transported through the air-cooled chamber of Fig.

Fig. 36A is a sectional plan on the line 36-36 of Fig. 5, and Figs. 37 and 38 are sectional elevations on the lines 37-37 and 3S-38, respectively.

Fig. 39 is a sectional plan of the coating bath shown in Fig. 6 on lines BSB- 39.

Fig. 40 isa sectional plan taken on the line -lO-O of Fig. 7.

Figs. 41 to 55, inclusive, show the coating machine in more detail. y

Fig. l-11 is a side elevation of the machine as viewed from the left..

Fig. a2 is a detail of the feeding mechanism as viewed from the right.

Figs. 43 and 4l are details of the adjusting means for the coating rolls.

Fig. l5 is a side elevation onA a somewhat. larger scale `showing the machine as viewed from the right.

Figs. .16 and 47, placed end to end, constitute a plan view, part-ly in section, on the line itii7 of Fig. 5. Y

Fig. 48 is a. sectional ele'vation on the line lS-'lS of Figs. -lG and 4i?. v

Fig. 49 is a plan of the pump mechanism which has been omitted from Fig. 6 for clearness in illustration.

Fig. 50 is a transverse section on the line 50-50 of Fig. i6.

Fig. 51-is a transverse section through the machineon the broken line 51-51 of Fig. 45.

Fig. 52 is a section on the line 52-52 of Fig. 4:6, Vshowing the. drive for the converging conveyors. v

Fig. 53 is a section on the line 553-53 of Fig. 16, illustrating the arched position of the sheet as it leaves the transfer mechanism of the coating machine.

Fig. -l is a section on the line of Fig. 48, and

Fig. 55 is ali-'enlarged View showing the chain guides for the pusher nea-r the top of Fig. i8.

The apparatus of the present invention can be ,used in vanving ways for providing metal, (such as iron or steel) with a plating of another metal, such as copper. and while it is not possible to herein set forth in detail the permissible variations in methods, l .i

shallindicate some of those variations in describing the preferred method.

The lirst step in the method for which my lill) ii o 

